BULLETIN 10
ADELAIDE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
98 Port Road, Hindmarsh
GUIDELINES AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE WEEKEND 24 – 25 May 2025
These guidelines contain the following:
- This cover sheet
- General Information and Reminders
- After Concert Meal – Celebratory Dinner
- Rehearsal and Performance locations, times and details
- Map of Adelaide venues
- Program Order and performers
NEIL FLEMING
President
Male Choirs Association of Australia
26th April 2025
GENERAL INFORMATION AND REMINDERS
COVID-19 POLICY:
Any participant who is exhibiting cold-like or Covid-19 symptoms during the weekend of 24th & 25th May must NOT attend either the rehearsal or the performance, disappointing as such a decision would be. Please do not jeopardise the health of other participants. Neither audience members nor performers are obliged to wear masks. If you choose to wear a mask, it should be removed for performance purposes once you enter the hall for seating immediately prior to the commencement of the concert.
UNIFORMS:
Please remember to check your choir uniform well before the performance. If you’re travelling to Adelaide, don’t forget to actually pack or stow your uniform for travel with you.
You MUST be dressed in your choir’s official performance uniform to perform on stage. If you forget your uniform, notwithstanding the time and expense you will have expended, you will not be able to perform on stage. From lessons learned in previous festivals, the visual aesthetic of the massed choirs cannot be compromised.
HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS:
Doctors will be in attendance at the rehearsal and Concert as a part of the massed choir.
St John Ambulance and accredited first aid personnel will be in attendance at the Concert and rehearsal in the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. It is important to avoid vocal strain during the rehearsal and Concert performance. Ensure that you engage in the vocal warm-ups, avoid overextending your voice while singing and keep your vocal cords hydrated by sipping water. Ensure that you take a bottle of water to both rehearsals and on to the stage for the concert. If you feel a little unwell and feel that you can continue on stage, then remain seated to sing. At previous concerts choristers have called for assistance and have left the stage to receive medical attention. Two prominent reasons for this were forgetting to take medication and a lack of hydration.
AFTER CONCERT MEAL – CELEBRATORY DINNER
An after-concert dinner has been planned for performers and their partners/friends at the Adelaide Convention Centre. People wishing to attend should have booked their places by Thursday April 17 with $80 payment to their own Choir’s MCAA representative (secretary or treasurer). Each choir’s delegate will be responsible for recording names and any dietary requirements for each booking and forwarding the total amount to the MCAA treasurer.
On arrival at the venue guests should check the table allocations on display at the entrance.
The dinner will be held at Adelaide Convention Centre, Hall E/Foyer E, North Terrace
Adelaide, between 6.30pm and 10.00pm. Doors opening and drinks available for purchase from 5.30pm. The Adelaide Convention Centre is near the Adelaide Railway Station, 3 kms from the Entertainment Centre with the free tram route running past both venues.
The meal will include 2 Courses (main & dessert) with full table service for both food and drinks. The cost includes meal only, with whatever drinks you choose to purchase (payable by card only).
We ask that you make every effort to mix with attendees from different choirs so that meaningful social interaction can occur. Table allocations will be made in advance and the wearing of name badges will assist in socialising.
It will be a low-profile evening with only one SHORT address by the President to allow for further fraternization after dessert.
REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE LOCATIONS TIMES AND DETAILS
Positions of Voice Sections during the Performance and Final Rehearsals
The Adelaide Entertainment Centre has stepped seating – 12 rows with 3 sets of 15 seats per row with steps between the 3 sets of seats. While this may mean a change for some choirs,
in order to fit their seating and keep sections together the seating plan below will be used:
| Bass 1 | Bass 2 | Tenor 1 | Tenor 2 | ||
| Orchestra | |||||
| Conductor | |||||
| Audience | |||||
The orchestra will be seated on a 200mm high stage in front of the choir adjoining the tiered seating, with the front row of tiered seating being slightly higher. For those with mobility issues a ramp will provide access to the stage and they will sit on the back of the stage immediately in front of their section.
Performance and Rehearsal Absolute Rules
The MCAA’s rule is that all singers are expected to perform from memory and that all choristers will be in their choir’s uniform for the performance. NO cheat sheets!
Final Rehearsal Details
Saturday 24 May 12.00 – 4.00pm, Adelaide Entertainment Centre – Theatre (not Arena)
Please wear your name badges. Bring your own water bottle.
12.00 – 12.45pm Singers arrive. PLEASE BE EARLY! Marshalls will direct you to seating allocations in waiting/assembly area in your voice sections.
1.10pm Singers move onto stage
1.40 – 2.00pm Rehearsal of choir with Piano
2.00pm Orchestra onto stage. Rehearsal with Orchestra and choir commences.
3.45 (approx.) Singers dismissed
Orchestra continues rehearsing until 5.00pm (MCAA AGM nearby to Assembly Area)
Performance Details
Sunday 25 May 12.00 – 4.30pm Adelaide Entertainment Centre – Theatre
WEAR OR BRING your FULL UNIFORM. Bring your own water bottle.
12.00 – 12.45pm Singers arrive. Proceed to seating allocations in assembly area.
1.00pm Doors open to the Public.
1.30pm All uniforms are on. Mobile phones OFF (suggest leaving with partner)
1.40pm Singers move to stage (NO song books or programs)
Once you have entered the AEC Stage area, adopt stage etiquette and resist/refrain from direct acknowledgement of audience members.
2.00pm Concert starts.
4.30pm Concert finishes
Intermission
Choristers to remain in seats except for toilet break
Optional Rehearsals
- Thursday 22 May 7.00 – 9.30pm. (Approx). Rehearsal for Singers and Piano.
Flinders Street Baptist Church, 65 Flinders St Adelaide.
- Sunday 18 May 2.00 – 5.00pm: Rehearsal for Singers and Orchestra.
For those that have indicated they intend to join in with this valuable opportunity to work with other singers and the orchestra, this will be held at Church of the Trinity, (a Uniting Church)
318 Goodwood Road, Clarence Park (approximately 15 minutes by car south of the centre of Adelaide). Singers should arrive between 1.15 and 1.45pm.
VENUES: Rehearsals / Performance / Gala Dinner
FROM VICTORIA SQUARE (central CBD):
ADELAIDE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE (AEC) 98 Port Rd Hindmarsh
- Free trams to AEC every 15 minutes, stops on King William St and North Tce, travel time 22 min
- Taxi/Uber approx. $18, 5 minutes
FLINDERS ST BAPTIST CHURCH (FSBC) 65 Flinders St
- 450m, 7 minutes walk
TRINITY UNITING CHURCH (TUC) 318 Goodwood Rd Clarence Park
- Taxi approx. $27, 15 minutes
ADELAIDE CONVENTION CENTRE (ACC) North Terrace
- 2Km, 15 minutes walk (or on tram route back from AEC after concert)
Program Order
| 1 | Vice Regal Salute
The SA Governor is attending |
Orchestra ONLY |
| 1a | Orchestra Solo:
Copland, Fanfare for the Common Man |
|
| 1b | Let All Men Sing | Choir, Piano and Orchestra |
| 2a | Rachie | Choir and Orchestra |
| 2b | Deus Salutis | Choir and Orchestra |
| 2c | For The Beauty of The Earth | Choir and Orchestra |
| 3 | Orchestra with Guest Artist (Flute Solo):
Bizet / Borne Fantasie on Carmen |
|
| 4a | Sailors Chorus Flying Dutchmen | Choir and Orchestra |
| 4b | Speed Your Journey Nabucco | Choir and Orchestra |
| 4c | Be Still My Soul Finlandia | Choir and Orchestra |
| INTERVAL 20 Minutes
Singers to remain seated or toilet break |
||
| 5a | Bound for SA | Unaccompanied |
| 5b | Away from the Roll of the Sea | Choir and Piano |
| 5c | Shelter | Choir, Piano, reduced Orchestra |
| 6 | Orchestra Solo:
Bernstein, West Side Story Medley |
|
| 7a | She Was Beautiful | Choir, Piano, reduced Orchestra |
| 7b | Anthem from Chess | Choir and Orchestra |
| 7c | Make You Feel My Love | Choir, Piano, reduced Orchestra |
| 8a | What Would I Do Without My Music | Choir, Piano and Orchestra |
| 8b | Rhythm Of Life | Choir and Orchestra |
| 9 (encore) | I Still Call Australia Home | Choir, Piano and Orchestra |
Partners’ Tickets
Partners’ tickets have been handled and distributed by Ticketek in different ways. Some choirs have received these tickets already and should have been distributed to those who ordered them. One person from each of the other choirs who have not received actual tickets to date may collect their choir’s tickets from the Ticketek office when they attend the rehearsal at the AEC on Saturday 24th May for distribution to individual members at that time so that partners will have their tickets for the next day.
Printed Program
A free official program of the concert will be available for each performer (orchestra & choir), distributed at the Saturday rehearsal. Partners accompanying performers will then have a copy to take to the concert the next day.
Cost to general public $5
MCAA AGM
To be held immediately after the choir is dismissed from Saturday Rehearsal, approx. 4pm
Venue nearby to Assembly Area at direction of Marshall.
Suggest 2 representatives of each participating choir and available on Zoom for others.